Ramayana of Valmiki

by Hari Prasad Shastri | 1952 | 527,382 words | ISBN-10: 9333119590 | ISBN-13: 9789333119597

This page is entitled “arjuna captures ravana” and represents Chapter 32 of the Uttara-kanda of the Ramayana (English translation by Hari Prasad Shastri). The Ramayana narrates the legend of Rama and Sita and her abduction by Ravana, the king of Lanka. It contains 24,000 verses divided into seven sections [viz., Uttara-kanda].

Chapter 32 - Arjuna captures Ravana

" Not far from where the dread Lord of the Rakshasas was making his offering of flowers on the sandy banks of the Narmada, Arjuna, the foremost of conquerors, supreme sovereign of Mahishmati, was sporting with his wives in the waters of that river. In their midst, that monarch looked like a great tusker surrounded by innumerable female elephants. Then he, desiring to measure the great strength of his thousand arms, stayed the rapid course of the Narmada and, the waters thus arrested by the myriad arms of Kartavirya, flowed towards its source bearing away its banks. With its fishes, crocodiles and sharks, its carpet of flowers and Kusha Grass, the current of the Narmada grew turbulent, as in the rainy season, and, as if purposely released by Kartavirya, that flood bore away all Ravana’s floral offerings, whereupon he, leaving the sacrifice only half performed, cast his glance on the river that appeared to him to resemble a cherished consort who is overwrought.

“Having surveyed the waters rising like waves in the sea, rushing from the west to overwhelm the eastern shore, Ravana observed that, in a little while, the birds no longer shunned it and it had returned to its natural state, like a woman who is pacified.

“Pointing with the finger of his right hand, Dashagriva signalled to Shuka and Sarana that they should seek out the cause of the rising current and, at this command from their king, the two brothers, Shuka and Sarana rose into the air and turned westward. Having traversed two miles, those Nightrangers observed a man in the river sporting with some women and he resembled a huge Sala Tree, his hair floating in the stream and the corners of his eyes were inflamed by the desire which agitated his heart. And that Scourge of his Foes blocked the river with his myriad arms, as a mountain the earth with its countless slopes and foot-hills, and innumerable fair women surrounded him, as a tusker in rut is encircled by female elephants.

“Beholding that prodigious sight, the two Rakshasas, Shuka and Sarana returned together to Ravana and said to him:—

“‘O Prince of the Rakshasas, an unknown person, like unto an enormous Sala Tree, in order to amuse his consorts, is staying the course of the Narmada like a dyke. Restrained by his myriad arms, the river is throwing up great waves like unto the sea!’

“Hearing these words from Shuka and Sarana, Ravana said, ‘It is Arjuna’ and rushed away, eager to enter into combat with him. And, as Ravana, the Lord of the Rakshasas, set forth to meet Arjuna, a fierce dust storm arose accompanied by muttering clouds raining drops of blood and that Indra among the Rakshasas, escorted by Mahodara, Mahaparshva, Dhumraksha, Shuka and Sarana, proceeded in the direction where Arjuna was. Soon that mighty Rakshasa, of the hue of antimony, reached the waters of the Narmada and there, surrounded by his wives, as a tusker by female elephants, the foremost of monarchs, Arjuna appeared before him.

Then the Lord of the Rakshasas, who was intoxicated with power, his eyes red with anger, said to Arjuna’s ministers in stentorian tones:—

“‘O Counsellors of the Lord Haihaya, inform him speedily that he who is called Ravana has come to fight with him!’

“When they heard these words of Ravana, Arjuna’s ministers raised their weapons and answered him saying:—

“‘O Ravana, you have indeed chosen an excellent moment for combat! Wouldst you fight a prince who is drunk and who is, further, amidst his consorts? Dost you really desire to fight with our king whilst he is surrounded by his wives? Possess thyself in patience to-day, O Dashagriva, and when the night is over, if you still wishest to do so, then challenge Arjuna, O Dear Friend. If, however, you are bent on combat, O You sated with war, then overcome us here and thereafter meet Arjuna and fight with him.’

“Then Ravana’s ministers slew some of Arjuna’s counsellors and devoured them avidly, and a great uproar arose on the banks of the Narmada, from the followers of Arjuna and Ravana’s ministers. The soldiers of the King of the Haihayas assailed Ravana and his ministers, on whom they hurled themselves with appalling fury with arrows, darts, javelins and tridents that pierced like lightning, and they created a tumult like unto the sea with its crocodiles, fish and sharks.

“Meanwhile the ministers of Ravana, Prahasta, Shuka and Sarana, enraged and full of valour, decimated the army of Kartavirya, and Arjuna’s followers, mad with terror, informed him of the attack by Ravana and his ministers.

“On these tidings, Arjuna addressed the concourse of women, saying:—‘Have no fear’, and rushed out of the water, like another Pavaka emitting terrible flames, so that he resembled the Fire of Dissolution at the end of the World Period. Adorned with bracelets of refined gold, he at once seized hold of a mace and hurled himself on the Rakshasas, whom he dispersed as the sun the darkness. With his arms, Arjuna, having brandished the huge mace, let it fall with the force of Garuda’s flight.

“Then Prahasta, unshakeable, like unto a hill, mace in hand, stood barring his path, like unto the Vindhya Range obstructing the sun, and he hurled that dreadful weapon bound with copper, emitting a great shout like unto Antaka. At the tip of the pike, loosed by Prahasta’s hand, a brilliant flame appeared like the point of an Ashoka Tree that seemed to glow, but the son of Kritavirya, Arjuna, without being perturbed, skilfully deflected that mace that was falling upon him, with his own weapon. Then the supreme Lord of the Haihayas hurled himself on his adversary with his heavy weapon which he brandished in his five hundred arms.

“Struck by that powerful blow of the mace, Prahasta, who had confronted him, fell like a mountain that has been riven by Indra’s thunderbolt.

“Seeing Prahasta lying there, Marica, Shuka and Sarana, as also Mahodara and Dhumraksha fled from the battlefield.

“His ministers routed and Prahasta struck down, Ravana threw himself on Arjuna, the foremost of monarchs, and a formidable duel ensued between that king of a myriad arms and the twenty-armed Ravana causing the hair to stand on end. Like unto two oceans that overflow, two mountains shaken to their foundations, two flaming suns, two blazing fires, two elephants intoxicated with their own strength, two bulls fighting for a heifer, two muttering clouds, two lions proud of their strength, like unto Rudra and Kala enraged, so did the Rakshasa and the King Arjuna, armed with maces, assail each other with fearful blows. Resembling mountains, able to withstand the dreadful lightning strokes, so did man and Rakshasa endure the blows of the mace. As the noise of thunder creates reverberations, so the impact of those weapons resounded in every quarter. Arjuna’s mace, falling on his opponent’s breast, lent it the appearance of gold or a cloud illumined by lightning. In the same way, each time Ravana’s mace fell on Arjuna’s breast, it resembled a meteor falling on a high mountain. Neither Arjuna nor the Sovereign of the Rakshasas wearied in the struggle, which remained undecided as formerly the duel between Bali and Indra. As two bulls struggle with their horns or two elephants with their sharp tusks, so did those two most valiant of men and Rakshasas fight. Finally Arjuna, in fury, with all his strength struck the huge chest of Ravana with his mace, but, protected by the armour bestowed on him by Brahma as a boon, that weapon was rendered impotent and fell cloven on the earth. Under the blow dealt by Arjuna, however, Ravana fell back a bow’s length and sank down groaning.

“Perceiving him to be overcome, Arjuna immediately rushed on Dashagriva and seized hold of him as Garuda did a serpent. With his myriad arms, that mighty king took hold of Dashanana and bound him as Narayana had bound Bali.

“Ravana, having been made captive, all the Siddhas, Char-anas and Devatas cried out, ‘Well done 1 Well done 1’ and showered flowers on Arjuna’s head. As a tiger who has captured a gazelle or a lion an elephant, so did the King of the Haihayas emit loud roars like unto a cloud.

“Thereafter the night-ranger, Prahasta, having recovered consciousness, seeing Dashanana bound, rushed on Arjuna in fury and the forces of the Rakshasas assailed him with extreme violence as, at the end of the hot season, the rain-douds break over the ocean.

“‘Release him! Release him!’ they cried unceasingly, attacking Arjuna with iron bars and spears but, entirely unmoved by the hail of weapons, ere they could reach him, the intrepid King of the Haihayas, Scourge of his Foes, speedily took hold of those projectiles hurled at him by the enemies of the Gods, and by means of many a dreadful and irresistible missile, he put them to flight as the wind disperses the clouds.

“Having scattered the Rakshasas, Arjuna, the son of Krita-virya, surrounded by his friends, bearing Ravana, bound, returned to his city. Then the Twice-born and the people scattered flowers and rice upon him, as he made his entry into the capital, resembling the God of a Thousand Eyes when he captured Bali.”

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